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Bucs sign five righties to Minor League deals

Bucs sign five righties to Minor League deals

8/19/12: Josh Kinney gets Joe Mauer to ground out to lock down the Mariners' 5-1 win over the Twins and notch his first save of the season

By Joey Nowak
/
MLB.com |

The Pirates on Wednesday signed five right-handed pitchers to Minor League contracts: Collin Balester, Jake Brigham, Jay Jackson, Josh Kinney and Seth McClung.

Brigham, Jackson and Kinney received invitations to Major League Spring Training as non-roster players.

Brigham, 25, went 5-5 with a 4.51 ERA in 26 games (18 starts) spanning 113 2/3 innings last year with Triple-A Round Rock of the Texas organization after making seven scoreless appearances (13 2/3 innings) with Double-A Frisco to start the year.

Jackson, 26, spent last year in the Marlins' farm system, where we went 4-7 with a 3.53 ERA in 21 games (18 starts) between Double-A Jacksonville and Triple-A New Orleans. Kinney, 34, was with Triple-A Tacoma of the Mariners organization last year, going 2-2 with a save and a 4.36 ERA in 30 relief appearances (33 innings). He's pitched in the big leagues with the Cardinals, White Sox and Mariners (most recently in 2012) and did not allow a run in seven postseason appearances (6 1/3 innings) with St. Louis in '06.

McClung, 32, has seen big league action with Tampa Bay (2003, '05-06) and Milwaukee ('07-09), and he pitched out of the bullpen in Mexico and Taiwan last season. Balester, 27, a fourth-round selection in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft by the Expos, has big league experience with the Nationals ('08-11) and the Tigers ('12). He had Tommy John surgery on June 3.

Joey Nowak is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @joeynowak. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.